Mahu Investigations

A gay police detective investigates the dark corners of sunlit O'ahu Mahu---a generally negative Hawaiian term for homosexuals---introduces a unique character to detective fiction. Kimo Kanapa'aka is a handsome, mixed-race surfer living in Honolulu, a police detective confronting his homosexuality in an atmosphere of macho bravado within the police force. A man of intelligence, strength, honesty, resourcefulness, and intense dedication to the people of Hawaii, Kimo is a hard-boiled hero you will never forget. Fast-paced, intricately plotted, thoroughly enjoyable, this is a sexy, surprisingly moving mystery about discovering oneself as much as catching a killer. Kimo Kanapa'aka's world turns upside down in Mahu. At 32, the hero of Māhū has reached the pinnacle of his profession, detective on the Honolulu Police Department's homicide squad, based at the Waikīkī station. But a difficult murder case, as well as turmoil in his personal life, is about to threaten everything he has worked for. A life-threatening drug bust in chapter 1 makes Kimo realize that it's time to stop lying to himself. He's drawn to the Rod and Reel Club, a gay bar in Waikīkī, where he has a couple of beers and begins the long process of accepting his attraction to other men. Leaving the club, though, he stumbles onto two men dropping a dead body in an alley, and he launches himself into a nightmare where his private life becomes public news. Kimo's pursuit of this case takes him from the seamy underside of Chinatown to the elegance of million-dollar homes in Maunalani Heights, from gay bars where young men stride naked down runways to bloody crime scenes.

Going undercover means lying to everyone he loves. MAHU SURFER, the second book in my Mahu Investigations mystery series, sends gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka back to his surfing past. His new boss asks the former competitive surfer to go undercover on Oahu's North Shore to find the killer of three surfers. The catch: he can't tell any of his family or friends that he has returned to the force, causing him to lie, when he has just come out of the closet and begun to tell the truth about his life. In his return to the North Shore, Kimo discovers trouble in paradise, from an epidemic rise in the use of crystal meth to increasing pressure on real estate prices. He also rekindles an uneasy friendship with a man whose sexual assault drove him into the police academy, and further into the closet, six years earlier. Readers will enjoy an exotic locale, plenty of aloha spirit and a dash of surf culture, as well as a slam-bang ending. Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for best gay mystery. Perfect for fans of Joseph Hansen, Michael Nava, and John Morgan Wilson.

MAHU FIRE, the third Mahu Investigation from Lambda Award finalist Neil S. Plakcy, begins as openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka attends a local charity event in support of gay marriage. When a bomb disrupts the gala, Kimo, his family and friends are thrust into a deadly contest between the forces of good and evil. A wave of religious fundamentalism sweeps through O'ahu, at the same time as violence against gay and lesbian-owned businesses is on the rise. Coincidence? Kimo doesn't think so. Working with hunky fire inspector Mike Riccardi – day and night – Kimo digs through the ashes to discover a motive for the attacks, as well as who is behind them. MAHU FIRE showcases a handsome, sexy hero who struggles to overcome personal troubles and makes private sacrifices for the public good. Throw in an exotic tropical locale, plenty of aloha spirit and a dash of surf culture, as well as a slam-bang ending that puts Kimo and the people he cares about in danger, and you've got the makings of a page-turning mystery. Plakcy has won the Left Coast Crime award for best police procedural, and been a four-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Perfect for fans of Joseph Hansen, Michael Nava, and John Morgan Wilson.

Can Kimo work with the man who broke his heart? Openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka is faced with a new murder that comes dangerously close to his personal life. About a year and a half has passed since the flames engulfed Waahila Ridge State Park at the end of Mahu Fire. During that time, Kimo and fire investigator Mike Riccardi dated for about six months, but with Kimo so visible, and Mike still in the closet, the pressures on them increased to the point where their relationship ended. When a fire breaks out at a shopping center Kimo's father used to own, and a young boy is killed, they are forced to work together-- and to acknowledge that the embers of their relationship are still hot. A lot stands in the way of their getting together once more, including Mike's identity issues, a mysterious man who knows how to exploit Kimo's sexual fantasies, and a deadly little thing called murder.

Kimo's Hawaiian heritage comes to the fore in this deadly investigation Openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka and his partner, Ray Donne, are on duty at a rally in downtown Honolulu organized by Kingdom of Hawai'i, one of many competing groups which seek reparations from the US for the loss of land and independence. An elderly woman is shot dead there, only a few feet from where Kimo's mother and nephews are taking part in the demonstration, and Kimo and Ray take the case. At the same time, Kimo's dealing with domestic difficulties, having just moved in with his partner, fire investigator Mike Riccardi. Since both are alpha males, the transition to shared living space isn't easy, especially because Mike's parents live next door. As Kimo and Mike struggle to adapt to living together, they begin to forge their own ohana-a Hawaiian term which means family, as well as community. The theme of ohana resonates through both Kimo's personal life and his investigation of the murder as Kimo and Ray follow clues through a labyrinth of competing groups, uncovering a trail of gambling, money laundering, and mental illness. The title refers both to the blood spilled in three murders, as well as the blood ties that link native Hawaiians to each other. People come together in many ways here-through native heritage and family ties as well as love and fellowship.

Mahu Investigations 1-3 Mahu, Mahu Surfer, and Mahu Fire Follow openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka through three gripping mysteries set against the backdrop of paradise. In Mahu, Kimo confronts his sexuality while investigating a murder that threatens to expose his deepest secrets. Mahu Surfer sends him undercover on Oahu's North Shore, where he must lie to everyone he loves to catch a killer targeting surfers. In Mahu Fire, a bombing at a gay marriage charity event launches Kimo into a deadly investigation of religious extremism and anti-gay violence, while sparking a passionate romance with fire inspector Mike Riccardi. This award-winning series combines exotic Hawaiian settings, authentic surf culture, and aloha spirit with hard-boiled detective work and deeply personal stakes. Lambda Literary Award finalist Neil S. Plakcy has created an unforgettable hero who fights crime while navigating the complexities of coming out in a macho police force. Fast-paced, intricately plotted, and surprisingly moving, these mysteries are as much about discovering oneself as catching killers.